Report by Ms. Evelyn Kamissek, the City of Hannover, Germany
As every year, the Mayors for Peace flag was hoisted in front of many German town halls on July 8th, 2022. Flying the flag signifies opposition to nuclear weapons and the hope for a peaceful world, especially in this unstable time. Out of over 800 German members, a total of 520 joined in the national Flag Day of Mayors for Peace.
The Flag Day is a reminder of an advisory opinion handed down by the International Court of Justice on July 8th, 1996, which concluded, “the threat or use of nuclear weapons would generally be contrary to the rules of international law applicable in armed conflict.”
The previous day, July 7th, marked the 5th anniversary of the adoption of the TPNW, and saw a panel discussion in the town hall of Hannover. Dr. Oliver Meier (Institute for Peace Research and Security Policy, Hamburg/Berlin) delivered a lecture under the title, “How to continue on the path to Global Zero?,” and then had a discussion with disarmament expert Xanthe Hall from IPPNW/ICAN, Berlin.
Photos: courtesy of the City of Hannover
11th German Flag Day (German Mayors for Peace website, in German):
https://www.hannover.de/Leben-in-der-Region-Hannover/Politik/Politische-Gremien/Mayors-for-Peace/Flaggentag/B%C3%BCrgermeister-f%C3%BCr-den-Frieden-Hannover-zeigt-wieder-Flagge-gegen-Atomwaffen
Panel Discussion in Hannover (German Mayors for Peace website, in German):
https://www.hannover.de/Leben-in-der-Region-Hannover/Politik/Politische-Gremien/Mayors-for-Peace/Aktivit%C3%A4ten/F%C3%BCnf-Jahre-Atomwaffenverbotsvertrag-Wie-geht-es-weiter-auf-dem-Weg-zu-Global-Zero